Hey all! So for the first time, I have an actual reason for why I didn’t do this--or anything else--last week: I was sick and so tired I li...

Hey all! So for the first time, I have an actual reason for why I didn’t do this--or anything else--last week: I was sick and so tired I literally could do nothing but rewatch Merlin (which was surprisingly enjoyable, sick I was and painful as that show is. I love those charries). It is the first time I have ever had an actual reason for missing POTW, but I’m taking my excuse and running with it. ;)

What Makes Dystopias Interesting? by Shar. In which she posts an insightful discussion on one of my favorite genres. I especially like what she said at the end, that dystopians, “transport readers in a way they can’t be transported when reading about people who live somewhere like where they live.” I think that’s one of my favorite things about them.

DIVERGENT Discussion by Liz. Divergent isn't my favorite dystopian, but I do like it and I LOVE what Liz has to say about unashamedly adoring your favorite books no matter how unpopular they are and even if no one else does. :D Likes, yes.

Power of Words Tag by Grace. I absolutely love her answers to my extras, lol. I’d at least have to read the description on that book title to know what the book was about.

***

And that’s it for this week! What’s your favorite dystopian (or favorite book if you don’t read dystopian)? What’s an unpopular book/movie/other form of entertainment that you unashamedly adore? Can’t wait to hear from you all and I will see you in the comment section!

6:00 PM

Original Photo Credit: Pixabay Gosh, what even to say to you, you crazy, lovely child. You're... you're my first original chara...

Gosh, what even to say to you, you crazy, lovely child. You're... you're my first original character from when I started writing seriously. You mean so much to me, and you're what got me through some of those not-so-easy weeks of my early teens. You gave me something to focus on, something to do, a friend as lost as I was in this anxiety of growing up somewhere new. I loved you. I still love you. Your story's expanded and grown and changed a little bit, but the heart of it isn't any different, and your heart isn't any different. I've explored your backstory. Gotten to see you anew so many times, learn so much more about you, understand who you are, and why you came to me the way you did: that wonderful, beautiful, crazy, depressing, sarcastic, no-idea-how-much-he's-worth kid. You're mine, precious. And I will champion your story till the day I die.

What would I say to you if you were standing right here? One, I'm sorry. You've had a hard-knock life and it's semi-my-fault, but you also came into my head that way, so I refuse to take full responsibility. :p

Also, you're amazing. You don't believe it and I know why you don't believe it, so I don't hold it against you (too much), but you're amazing. I also know that you still don't believe me and you wouldn't believe me, even if you were real or I was fake and I was sitting right in front of you, giving you all my attention, looking you right in the eyes, and promising that you were amazing.

You'd try to hold my gaze so you wouldn't offend me, but in the end, you'd look away, too uncomfortable to see the earnestness so clearly in my eyes. Especially when you knew—or thought you knew—that I was wrong. Your thoughts... well, your thoughts would depend on how well I knew you. “Crazy” would come up no matter what. But the severity to which you thought I was crazy would be directly related to how well I knew you: less crazy if I didn't know you well, more crazy if I did.

You're smarter than you think.Sure, Algebra makes you wanna punch a wall till you break your fist, your grades aren't the highest, and you feel like you have to physically wrangle your brain into comprehension. But that makes you strong (which we'll get to later), and your smarts manifest themselves in other places. For instance, your unique way of seeing people: you're a little blind in assessing them, but you notice things that others don't. You're a brilliant artist, which takes something, if you won't admit it's smarts, something fantastic that most people don't have.

You're strong, stronger than you think (might as well just insert that Pooh Bear quote right here). And even when you pretend you don't care, even when you tell yourself you don't care, you love harder and deeper than most people would ever dare. You get sacrifice, like some kind of king in a fantasy story, rather than the 14-year-old contemporary kid you are. Your methods of showing your love and your tendency to over-deliver on your sacrifice may need a little shaping up, but your heart's always in the right place... Well, actually that's not true. But once you get itin the right place, it doesn't budge.

Again, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that life's been hard, awful, near horrific sometimes. I'm sorry for the parts that were my fault and even for the parts you just came into my head with. I do love you though. And I promise that even though you can't see it now, you are headed towards amazing things. Things almost as amazing as you. ;)

Speaking of, it's funny, how you make me see my faith in a new way. Like, all the stuff you're going through, it has a purpose. Every step you've taken, even the ones where you stepped on something or broke your toe or sprained an ankle or got a piece of glass through your foot and were basically crippled for a while—metaphorically speaking of course—all of them have mattered. They've been inserted to grow you, because it was the only road to get you to where you are now, which is the only road to get you to where you're going, which—recap—will be amazing. Both inyour story and outside of it, in my world.

Because I want you to touch lives Elliot, I want your story to be realistic and relatable to others, and I want to make you deeper, better when it all comes out in the end. I made you because... well, I made you because I wanted to tell your story. Or, more accurately, you tiptoed into my head, silently insisting that you be written and written well. But one of the reasons I keep going, besides simply believing that you need to be heard, is that I want you to touch lives. I want you to make a change. I hope it's a big one, but maybe it'll be small, a ripple effect that keeps going and going and touching and touching, until it can't even be traced back to you, but you started it. In fact, I think you'd like it better that way, if it couldn't be traced back to you, so you didn't have to be uncomfortable being all famous and having the world stare at your life. But either way. I want you to make a difference, even if it seems small to some.

Anyways. I'm beginning to ramble—you do that a little bit, and yes, you got it from me—but I don't know how to close either. I guess with the words that you most need to hear even if you wouldn't listen to anyone who said them: remember, my dearest Elliot Andreas Sharpe, that you are loved and you are special and you are never, ever forgotten. May you be filled with hope, joy, belonging, and peace.

All my love and all my thanks for entrusting me with your story.

9:32 PM

I... have honestly not read as much this week as I should have. Well, not as many blog posts. I’ve actually read a lot of books, most of wh...

I... have honestly not read as much this week as I should have. Well, not as many blog posts. I’ve actually read a lot of books, most of which I probably won’t review, but hey, I finished The Raven Boys and I’m rereading Waterfall, which I almost never do. Reread, I mean. Not Waterfall in particular.

Let Loose A Little Darling by Noor. After reading all the amazing poetry by other bloggers, it amazes me that I ever didn't enjoy poetry. Like wow, little Alexa, what were you thinking????

The Winners! If you voted in the Fandom Studio awards last week, these are the winners (please note the glorious amount of Percabeth).

The Craft Journal. An online haiku magazine started by one of the girls I met at YoungArts. In their own words, "Haikus are less about commitment... they capture the feeling of a single moment in time, like a photograph."

***

And that's it for this week! What have you been reading lately, on blogs or in books? Do you write poetry? How hard do you ship Percabeth? (hint: should be very hard) Thanks for reading, and I will see you in the comment section!

6:30 PM

Hey, guys! I am back with another tag and thank you so much to the wonderful Heather from Sometimes I’m a Story for tagging me for this gl...

5. Let people know that you’ve tagged them (assuming I actually do number 4)

ON TO THE TAG!!!

ALEXANDER HAMILTON: A book with an underdog protagonist

This is weird. I feel like almost all of them--especially fantasies--do in a way have these, yet I can’t think of a specific one that I would label as having an underdog protagonist. Heh. Let’s just say this one’s close enough.

(The whole series. Not just this book)

I mean seriously. A teenage cyborg mechanic aiming to save the world and rule the moon with nothing but her motley crew? That’s some pretty intense odds.

MY SHOT: A book that made you want to RISE UP and tell everyone about it

Because it is basically as gorgeous as this tag and even though I minorly disagree with some of the portrayals (for instance, I think Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side was a lot quicker), it does a FANTASTIC JOB OF EXPLAINING MOST OF THE THINGS. Seriously, anyone who doesn’t like the prequels should just read this book and it will at least help you understand the beauty I see in this movie. I don’t promise that you will fall as head over heels as I am, but I do think it’ll give you a better understanding of us crazy prequel lovers ;)

Anyways.

THE SCHUYLER SISTERS: A book with some kickbutt sisters

WHY DO I NOT KNOW OF MORE OF THESE??? The only one I can think of right offhand is Hunger Games, but even though I love Prim, I wouldn’t really call them both kickbutt--

I KNOW.

Why I have not shouted these from the rooftops of my blog prior to this moment I am not sure. Perhaps because it has been a year or two since I read them. But anyways. From what I remember, these books are beautiful. And these sisters are can fight. With swords. And bow and arrows. I really like them.

Sidenote: if any of you have any book recommendations about kickbutt sisters (or any good sisters really. I feel like that angle isn't all that popular) I’mma need you to send them over. Thanks.

YOU’LL BE BACK: A book you know you’ll read again

Err, can I say ROTS novelization again? No? Fine then.

I have recently been minorly disillusioned about this series: I still love it, but it’s not all that I once thought it was. Still, I’d like to reread them and see if I can sort of re-fall-in-love and get my HARDCORE FANGIRL back.

HELPLESS: A book you couldn’t help but buy

Hmm, I don’t really buy books... oh. Lies.

I may or may not have bought these two and read three from this series all in less than 2 weeks. Maybe.

DEAR THEODOSIA: A book that blew you away

So I talk about these too much. But seriously. When I finished these, they both immediately went to my “...WHOA” category. So yeah.

NON-STOP: A book you couldn’t stop reading

Fun fact: I don’t talk about this book enough. Granted, it didn’t start out as something I was absolutely in love with, but by the midway point, I was practically glued to it. One of very few that have made it to my nonstop category

CABINET BATTLE #1: A book you would always defend in an argument

I need some new answers. All I can think of is ROTS.

THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS: A book with a unique setting

Often when you have a book about a magical boarding school, at least in my experience, it’s just that... a boarding school with a bit of magic tacked on. But this series does an absolutely beautiful job of actually fleshing out the world and the history withinit. Very cool.

IT’S QUIET UPTOWN: A book that left you speechless (and/or emotionally devastated)

I DON’T EVEN WANNA ANSWER THIS ONE. I THINK I’M JUST GONNA SAY HAMILTON AND LEAVE IT AT THAT. KAY???

Actually, no.

This book definitely left me speechless. Ask the bestie I was sleeping over with at the time: I bingeread for hours so that she could have it next (we have the best sleepovers), and was temporarily in a catatonic state directly following. It’s the only time I can remember having a book hangover. Could not read for the entire rest of the weekend.

THE ELECTION OF 1800: A book revolving around a competition

Basically superheroes on a gameshow! (which is kinda cool.) And other mystery stuff. Maybe more other mystery stuff than superheroes on a gameshow. But anyways, it’s close enough.

WHO LIVES, WHO DIES, WHO TELLS YOUR STORY: A book with a memorable narrator

Let’s not even talk about how fitting this is considering the title and content of that song.

***

And that’s the tag! *sigh of happiness* As gorgeous and heartbreaking as I thought it would be. *heart*

For my part, I tag Shar and Monica because I know they’ve listened to Hamilton, but if you have listened to Hamilton and want to steal the thing, DO IT. I beg you. I would love to see some other answers.

So have you read any books surrounding competitions? Got any with kickbutt sisters to recommend to me? Can’t wait to hear from you all, and I will see you in the comment section!

6:36 PM

Hey guys! So last summer, I participated in this blog chain, Today's Word Nerd Ponderings , which has recently been revamped into... DU...

Prompt One: Introduction: Please share a song (or two) and how you can relate.

I will pick two. Because there is always more fantastic music.

This album just came out--like last week just came out--and I already love it. The first few are amazing and powerful, and the last one makes me wanna rock out, but I gotta say, Lions is one of my favorites too, if not my absolute fav. I love the way it pulls all those familiar Christian messages about faith and fearlessness into something that--at least for me--resonates in a really unique way.

LOL, Dustin and Genevieve are just amazing. I actually try not to overeat when I’m upset, but hey. This video is just hilarious.

So what’s been on your playlist lately? What’s your favorite treat when the writing’s not going your way? Found a song that you or a character particularly relate to? Can’t wait to hear from you all, and I will see you in the comment section.

8:53 PM

So when you looked at the date this week, did it come as a shock to anyone else that summer is almost over ??? I don’t think of time in the...

So when you looked at the date this week, did it come as a shock to anyone else that summer is almost over??? I don’t think of time in the normal sense anyway (it just kinda happens and then all of the sudden I look up, and no, that thing did not happen two days ago, it happened two months ago. Whaaaat???) So of course that made this realization even crazier.

Anyways. I don’t know if that made any sense, but the point is, it’s always a shock to me when time passes and I’m still kinda reeling from this idea of summer being nearly over (though I’m actually not complaining. I agree with Liz about summer).

Anyways. On to the posts!

Writing Lessons From Movies: Spirit by Victoria. I love Spirit so much. The soundtrack and story are both amazing, and Victoria pulls out some awesome writing lessons that are especially applicable if you’re writing about animals--obviously. But the last two could be used for just about anything.

The Most Important Job In The World by Mrs. Shannon Dittemore. It’s definitely awesome to think of writing as something that carries so much weight, but like she said, we gotta be careful not to let it crush us. We don’t always realize it, but sometimes, we need the bad days for what they teach us as much as we need the good days for what they give us and our readers.

The Zombie Apocalypse Tag: Ally’s version. This is the coolest thing (other than the Hamilton tag, which should go live Monday!), and I can’t wait to get to it (but I probably will since I want to do some other posts). Anyways, Ally’s answers turned out pretty awesome, especially the one about Levana. ;)

***

And that’s the posts! Hey, let’s try this: pick the first book character you think of and then answer this question: who trips you to get away from the zombies? LOL, can’t wait to see you all in the comments!

Hiya!

Alexandria, better known as Alex or Alexa, is a strange Christian-fangirl-YA-writer medley tucked away in an undisclosed location in Virginia. She loves creating worlds out of keystrokes, discovering adorable ships (platonic or romantic), and becoming besties with clever characters who wow her with smarts and sass.